Conveyer for fruit



G R. PARANTEAU.

CONVEYER FOR FRUIT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 16, I921.

1,429,093, I PatentedSept. 12,1922.

iii-3;

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

enema a. raaanrmu, or rune, camronnm.

conveyer. non mun.

Application filed March 16, 152! Serial No. 41mm ing is a specification.

This invention relates to conveyers for fruit and particularly to cenveyers used n connection with fruit pitting machines In which the individual fruit isheld while be-. ing pitted, it being an object of this inventionto produce novel means for presenting the fruit one at a time to the fruit holders employed .while the fruit is beingpitted.

It is furthermore an bbject of this invention to produce a. fruit carrier having means for insuring against the dislodgment'of fruit from the carrying cups during normal operation,.and having means for pres'entmg the fruit to the grippers which carry it during the pitting operation so that the said grippers may more efiectuallyengage the fruit without liability of injuring same. 7

A still further object of this invention 15 to produce an automatically controlled device in which the fruit is lifted from the cup at a predetermined position, it being the in-, tention of the inventor that the fruit camers of the pitting machine shall operate in the locality where the fruitis lifted from the cup. r v

With the foregoing and other ob ects in view, the invention consists inthe details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more.

fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accom anying drawings forming part of this application where in like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of a fragment of a conveyer embodying the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a sectional view of one of the cups and partsassociated therewith:

Figure 3 illustrates a similar view with the pagts in difi'erent'positions of adjustment; an

Figure 4 illustrates a plan view-of the cup.

'It is belived sufiicient foran understanding by one skilled in the art to show the conveyer and explain that the fruit is to be R. PARANTEAU,-

moved from the carrier one at a time. To thatend, I have shown a fragment of the conveyer having a shafit 5 carrying a sprocket wheel 6 and a pulley 7 engaged by a belt 8 by which the conveyer is driven. The parts just described might be said to. be conventional showings which can be modified to suit carried in juxtaposition to afruit pitting machine in order that the fruit may be rearticular requirements as to the manner 0 applying power and mounting the conveyer.

The sprocket wheel 6 is engaged by a sprocket conve er chain 9 certain links of which have t e fruit carrying elements mounted on it. these fruit carrying elements may be increased and diminisher in number per yard of conveyer chain and as the fruit carrying elements ma be located several links apart, I do not wish to be restricted with respect to the number employed. The illustration, however, is believed sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention, especiall y when taken in conjunction with thet'ollowmg description.

The fruit carrying elements each comprise a cup 10 carried by certain of the links such as 1'1 of the chain. The links which carry' the cups have apertures 12 therein through each of which a shank 13 of a supplemental cup 14 is slidable, the said supplemental cup is intended to lie normally on the bottom of the cup 10. A spring 15 encircles the shank being -of less area than-.the cup "10 and it Y 16 at the end ofthe shank, the said spring being efiective to hold the supplemental cup normally in theposition shown in Fig. 2 when the fruit lies in the larger cup and can be carried without liability of its being dislodged therefrom. The length of the conveyer, however great it may be, within. predetermined bounds will operate as a fruit.

As shown, the shank of each cup normal 100. carrier, one piece being lodged in each cup...

projects well below the chain, but when the 7 chain eng es the sprocket wheel, the said sprocket w eel forms an abutment against which the shanks impinge and the said shanks are'therefore projected through the links carrying the suppltal cups to the elevated position shown in Fig. 1 where the fruit is-quite clear ofthe' cup 10 and in position to be-grasped by frult holders of the pitting machine. The supplemental cups will he heldin the position to which they are forced by the initial contact of the shanks with the wheel until the sprocket chain disengages the wheel and thereafter the supplemental cups regain their normal position under the influence of the springs.

As shown in the drawing, each cup 10 1s elongated and has curved sides whereas the supplemental cup is of the general configuration of the cu 10 but it as its side edges cutaway to orm clearances for the fru t engaging grapples or fingers of a fruit holder of a fruit pitting machine.

I claim: 7

1. In a fruitconveyer, a sprocket chain, a sprocket Wheel over which the chain 1s run, cups carried by links of the cha1n, a supplemental cup having its sides omitted n each of the first mentioned cups, the sald first mentioned cups and links having apertures therein, shanks on the supplemental cups extending through the apertures of the first mentioned cups and links, and means for holding the inner ends of the shanks normally inside of the inner surfaces of the links.

2. In a fruit conveyer, a sprocket wheel neeenee having means for its rotation, a sprocket chain thereon, cups on links of the sprocket chain, the said cups and links having apertures, a supplemental cup having its sides omitted in each first mentioned cup, a shank on each supplemental cup projecting through an aperture of afirst mentioned cup and a link, a spring encircling the shank near the inner end, the said spring hearin against a link, and means on the shan bearing against the opposite end of each spring for holding it under tension.

3. n a conveyer for fruit, a sprocket chain, a sprocket wheel on which the chain is mounted, an elongated cup having curved edges, a supplemental cup of the general contour of the first mentioned cup having its side edges removed, a shank on each supplemental cup projecting through a first mentioned cup and a link, the end of thesaid shank being adapted to he engaged by the sprocket wheel between the teeth of the said wheel for projectin the supplemental cup, and means for hol ing the shank in normal position.

GEURGE R. PARANTEAU 

